ATHABASCA – What sort of content is your child consuming on the internet? Do they use Tik Tok, Snapchat, or a third option most millennials have never heard of? Perhaps most importantly, are they engaging with the internet safely?
Aspen View Public Schools (AVPS) is hoping a three-day series of engagement sessions hosted by Madison Cameron, a youth specialist at the Centre for Trauma Informed Practices (CTIP), will help parents, teachers, and students answer sometimes difficult questions.
“A lot of the work I get to do here at CTIP, it’s not about shock and awe,” said Cameron. “I really want to come in, whether it’s with professionals or parents, and hopefully lower their anxiety and give them a better understanding of how many kids in this generation perceive social media.”
Cameron gave a virtual presentation to Aspen View staff during a professional development session earlier in March. Kimberlee Carson, superintendent of human resources and student services at AVPS, said it helped them all understand how their students interact with social media.
“Students in our schools today have always had social media as part of their lives,” said Carson. “Cameron highlighted the importance of educators continually showing and communicating to students that as educators we can handle the truth, especially when they are in over their heads, and we will assist them in navigating through the challenges they face.”
Teachers and support staff are just one part of the equation; Cameron’s in-person presentations to parents and students aim to bridge the gap between two generations who experienced the same challenges in different ways.
“I remember, for half of my childhood and by the time I was in high school, facing the same challenges that they face, because I also went through those things with Instagram, and with Snapchat.”
Parents are invited to join Cameron on April 9 at Edwin Parr Composite School in Athabasca, and April 10 at H.A. Kostash School in Smoky Lake for an hour-long presentation on what apps kids are using, and how social media can change a youth’s perception of the world around them. Both presentations are from 7-8 p.m.
Grade 4-6 and Grade 7-9 students will be receiving their own presentations from Cameron April 8-11 as she tours the school division.
The presentation for the students is Cameron’s favourite; her desire and ability to connect with students and help them with self-reflection is a key component of the presentation.
“The first thing I say is that I didn’t come here to tell kids that social media is awful — I didn’t come here to them to get off their phones, or that they shouldn’t have Instagram or TikTok,” said Cameron. “I was working as an EA at two different middle schools during the pandemic, and I was supporting so many kids with challenges they face; whether it started on social media and translated to the hallway, or perhaps it started in the real world and translated to social media.”
“Her student presentation motivates and inspires youth to stay true to themselves, and remind them that often, social media is not always as it seems,” said Carson.
Due to the nature of the conversations, the evening presentations will be adult only, although childcare will be provided at both locations.
“With the growing use of the online or virtual world that our children live in, adults need to have an understanding of its impact on mental health,” said Carson, who pointed out that parents are always looking for new and improved ways to support their kids. “Strategies, resources, and conversations will aid in builder stronger connections with children and youth.”
